Springfield Metallic Casket Co. v. Dunn
Springfield Metallic Casket Co. v. Dunn
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff entered into a contract with the defendants, under the terms of which certain advertising was to bp run in eight issues of a publication known as “The Furniture & Coffin Review,” beginning with the number of April, 1909, and ending with the number of November, 1909. The advertisements were published in five issues in 1909, but, by reason of an injunction against the publishing of the paper, the defendants were prevented from completing the publication according to contract. On February 16, 1910, the defendants, in a letter to the plaintiff, expressed a willingness to complete the contract during 1910, commencing with the February number and ending with and including the August issue. The plaintiff replied, assenting to this proposition, and enclosed copy to be run in the March issue of the paper. It appears, from the evidence, that the advertisements were run in the issue of March, 1910, and that the remainder of the advertisements were published in issues of the paper appearing after August, 1910¡ It seems, from the evidence, that the paper in which the advertisements were published had two names, to wit, “The Southern Undertaker” and “The Furniture & Coffin Review,” both names being printed on the paper; and one of the defendants testified that “The Southern Undertaker” was the paper in which they contracted to publish the advertisements. He testified also that the advertisements were not run regularly in 1910, because the plaintiff did not furnish copy as called for. In October, 1910, the plaintiff wrote to the defendants, stating that if the plaintiff did not hear from them by return mail, proceedings would be begun against them “looking toward the completion of the contract.” The suit is for money had and received, to recover a portion of the contract price which had been paid in advance, upon the theory that the defendants had no right, under the contract, to publish the advertisements after August, 1910. The jury found for the defendants. The plaintiff excepts to the refusal of a new trial.
Generally, time is not of the essence of a contract, but it may become so either by .express stipulation or by reasonable con
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.